Continuous envelope assembly



April 8, 1969 D. J. STEIDINGER 3,437,259

CONTINUOUS ENVELOPE ASSEMBLY Filed march 1. 1967 sheet f of 2 F152 N j g5 YZ 2%- 925 12a YMSQYMMW #Hawley April 8, 1969 D. 1. STEIDINGER CONTINUOUS ENVELOPE ASSEMBLY Sheet Filed March l, 1967 PIE? ' 'l ,MNHN Ml United States Patent O 3,437,259 CONTINUOUS ENVELOPE ASSEMBLY Donald J. Steidinger, Barrington, Ill., assigner to Uarco Incorporated, a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 619,733 Int. Cl. B65d 27/10, 27/06 U.S. Cl. 229--69 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field o7" the invention This invention relates to continuous form envelope assemblies and more particularly to an envelope assembly which is provided with envelope front and back sheets and insert materials and with a means for inserting additional material to the interior of the envelope subsequent to the assembly thereof but prior to sending the same to a recipient, which means is closable prior to so sending the envelope to a recipient.

Description of the prior art Pertinent prior art in this field includes my issued Patent No. 3,104,799, entitled Envelope Assembly. This patent discloses a continuous envelope assembly wherein insert material is captivated between .envelope front and back plies in one margin and access may be gained to the interior of the envelope and the insert material placed in a condition for extraction by removing one margin of the envelope along a line of weakening. The entire assembly may be pre-printed with non-variable information, such as return address, -fixed information on the insert sheet, and a mailing permit. After assembly, further printing in the form of variable information, such as a recipients address and an amount owing or amount due each recipient may be printed on the exterior of the envelopes as well as to the interior thereof with the aid of spot carbons, or the like. Then each envelope may be separated from the assembly along transverse lines of weakening and mailed to the recipient.

Summary of the' invention The present invention is, in brief, an improvement in the aforementioned Patent No. 3,104,799 in that it is directed to the provision of a means in the assembly for adding additional material to each envelope of the assembly at a time and point remote from the initial assembly thereof. Furthermore, each envelope may then be completely sealed after the insertion of the additional material prior to mailing to a recipient.

An example of an ideal application for this invention is in the field of monthly bank statements. The pre-assembled insert material, which is in the initial envelope assembly, may be a monthly statement which is calculated on a business machine which also addresses the envelopes. Spot carbons in the interior of the envelope transfer the pertinent information to the insert material. The cancelled checks may be subsequently inserted into each envelope, the envelope sealed, and then sent to a recipient.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved continuous envelope assembly.

Patented Apr. 8, 1969 ICC It is another object of this invention to provide an improved continuous envelope assembly having means for inserting additional material into the assembly at a point remote in time and place from the initial assembly but prior to mailing the envelope to a recipient.

Another object of this invention is to provide a continuous form envelope assembly which as initially assembled is provided with means for adding supplementary insert material and sealing the enclosure prior to mailing the envelope to a recipient.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Brie]c description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, broken, top plan view partially broken away in section, of a portion of the envelope assembly of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded section view, along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

[FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an individual envelope from the completed assembly, sho-wing supplementary insert material being inserted into the envelope, one corner of the envelope being turned back for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one marginal edge of the envelope after the supplementary insert material has been inserted into the envelope and the one open edge sealed;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken generally along the line 5 5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary top plan view, partially broken away in section, of an alternate form of the invention;

lFIGURE 7 is a top plan view of an individual envelope separated from the assembly shown in FIGURE 6, with portions turned back for clarity of illustration, and showing an item of supplementary insert material about to be inserted into the envelope; and

IFIGURE 8 is an exploded section view, erally along the line 8 8 of FIGURE 7.

Description of the preferred embodiments Envelope assembly 10, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, includes an overlying master or record ply 12, a sheet of transfer material, such as carbon paper and the like 14, a continuous envelope front stationery strip 16, which may have standard indicia such as a mailing permit 16', pre-printed thereon, an insert sheet 18, which may, as illustrated, be in continuous strip form and suitably diecut at spaced points 18', and an envelope back sheet 20. Generally the nature of the assembly is similar to that shown in my Patent No. 3,104,799. The record ply 12 may be separated from the assembly and retained for otice use, and carbon ply '14 may be discarded. Certain non-variable information in addition to the pre-printed indicia 16 (such as a customers name and address and an amount owing) may be subsequently printed on the envelope assembly and in the insert ply by business machines with the aid of'spot carbons or the like in the interior of the assembly as shown and described in the aforementioned Patent 3,104,799.

Control punch holes 22 are provided in one margin, such as margins 12a, 14a, 16a, 18a and 20a of the several plies 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20, respectively, as well as in the opposite margins 12b, 14b and 16b of plies 12, 14 and 16, to assist in feeding the assembly and maintaining the same in registration during assembly and pre-printing thereof. Longitudinally extending glue lines 24a and 24b adhere plies 16, 18 and 20 together inside the marginal edges 16a, 18a and 20a. In addition, spaced transversely extending glue lines 26 adhere plies 16 and 20 together between taken generally taken genthe die-cut 18 of insert ply 18 to thereby define individual envelope pockets 27. Longitudinally spaced transverse lines of weakening 28 throughout the assembly divide the assembly into individual envelope units 30 which may be separated from the assembly along the lines of weakening 28.

After assembly and prior to separation of the individual units 30 from the assembly, plies 12 and 14 may be removed and margins 16a, 18a, 20a, and 16b separated along trim lines 32 and 34. The assembly, particularly plies 16, 18 and 20, is provided with a perforation line 36 which is interiorly of glue lines 24a and 24b, defining a tear-off strip 36a, so that access may be gained to the interior of the resultant envlope and the insert material placed in a condition for extraction therefrom by merely separating tear strip 36a along line 36.

Means is further provided for gaining access to the individual envelope units after completion of the assembly for adding supplementary insert material, prior to sending the envelope to a recipient.

As can be best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the envelope ply 16 is wider than the remaining envelope plies, such as insert ply 18 and envelope back 20. That portion of front ply 16 which extends beyond the lower plies includes a fold line 38 thereby defining an integral ap portion 40. The underside of flap 40 includes a line of adhesive, such as a remoistenable glue 42 so that the flap and its glue provide a means for sealing the envelope after the insertion of supplementary insert material.

After the envelope assembly has been pre-printed and assembled, printed with variable information for each envelope unit, then separated into individual envelopes 30, each envelope is ready for the addition of supplementary insert material. As best seen in FIGURES 3 through 5, this is accomplished by thrusting the insert material 43 through the normally open means for gaining access to the envelope or open marginal end 44 of the envelope where the ap 40 is found.

After the supplementary insert material is inside of the envelope 30, ap 40 may be folded about fold line 38 and glue line 42 moistened to adhere the flap to the back ply 20 and enclose the open end 44. The envelope is now in a condition for mailing to a recipient who, upon receipt of the same', may separate tear strip 36a along line 36, thereby gaining access to the interior of the envelope and placing insert ply 18, as well as insert material 43, in a condition for extraction from the interior of the assembly.

In FIGURES 6 through 8, an alternate embodiment is shown. Here envelope assembly 110 also includes a top master ply 112 which may be retained for office use, a sheet of transfer material (not shown), envelope front ply 116 which contains certain pre-printed indicia, such as a mailing permit 116', an envelope insert ply 118 which may be in strip form and suitably die-cut at spaced areas, such as 118', and an envelope back ply 120. Control punch holes 122 are provided in the margins 112a, 116a, 118g and 120a, as well as in margins 112b, 116b and 120b to assist in feeding the assembly through suitable printing and assembly mechanism and the like.

Longitudinally extending glue line 124:1 and spaced longitudinally extending glue line 124b extend lengthwise of the assembly securing plies 116, 11S and 120, together interiorly of margins 116a, 118a and 130a and securing plies 116 and 120 together interiorly of the opposite margin 116b and 120b. Longitudinally spaced, transverse glue lines 126 secure front and back plies 116 and 120 together in the space between die-cuts 118 in areas defining one edge of the envelope which, in theI illustrated embodiment, is the bottom edge thereby combining with glue lines 124a and 124b to provide an envelope pocket 127. Transverse lines of weakening 128 provide a means for separating individual envelope units 130 from the assembly, which units are secured together along glue lines 124:1, 124b and 126.

Margins 112a, 116a, 118a, 120a may be separated along trim lineI 132 and margins 112b, 116b, and 120b may be separated along trim line 134 prior to removing ply 112 and separating the individual envelope units 130 from the assembly. Perforation line 136 extends inside glue line 124e, defining a tear-off strip 136a. Access may be gained to the interior of each envelope 130 and the insert material 118 placed in a condition for extraction by merely separating tear-off strip 136a along perforation line 136.

The alternate embodiment is also provided with means for gaining access to the interior of the individual envelope units after completion of the assembly for adding supplementary insert material, prior ,to sending the envelope to a recipient. One of the piles (back ply in the illustrated embodiment) is die-cut at laterally spaced areas 13851, 138b for a small distance inwardly from one marginal edge of each envelope unit. In the illustrated embodiment, this die-cut extends inwardly from that edge which would, in the resultant envelope unit, be the top edge thereof. These two die-cuts define a flap portion 140 which is provided with an adhesive in the form of a remoistenable glue line 142. Thus, when the envelopes are separated from the assembly, each has an open end 143 through which supplementary insert material 144 may be inserted into the envelope' pocket 127. After the supplementary insert material is positioned within the envelope, the remoistenable glue line 142 may be activated by moisture and placed in a condition for adhering contact with the underside of the opposite or front ply 116 to completely seal the interior of the envelope with the supplemental insert material therein. As was the case with envelope 30, the recipient may gain access to the interior of the envelope and place the insert material 114 and supplementary insert material 144 in a condition for extraction by merely removing the tear-off strip 136:1 along perforation line 136.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An assembly of stuffed sealed envelopes, comprising: superimposed plies defining fronts and backs of sealed envelopes; insert material between said front and back plies; means connecting the front and back plies together in spaced areas defining individual envelope pockets; spaced lines of weakening in the plies defining individual envelope units separable from the assembly; and normally open means for gaining access to the interior of individual envelope units after completion of the assembly for adding supplementary insert material to the individual envelope pockets at a time and point remote from the initial assembly thereof, including means integral with one of the front and back plies for subsequently closing the means for gaining access to the interior of the envelope.

2. The envelope assembly of claim 1 wherein one of the front and back plies is provided with an integral ldap along one free edge, said flap being provided with adhering means so that after the supplementary `insert material is added to the envelope unit, the flap and adhering means may sealingly engage the opposite envelope ply to complete the enclosure.

t3. The envelope assembly of claim 2 wherein the normally open means for gaining access to the interior of the envelopes includes a die-cut area in one of the front and back plies extending inwardly from one edge of the one ply thereby defining a flap portion, and wherein said flap portion is free from engagement with its opposite ply during initial `assembly of the envelope.

`4. The envelope assembly of claim 2 wherein the iiap comprises an integral extension of one of the front and back plies which may be folded over and adhered to the other ply after the supplementary insert material has been added to the interior of the envelope to completely enclose the envelope unit.

l5. An assembly of stuffed sealed envelopes, comprising; superimposed plies defining fronts and `backs of sealed envelopes; insert material between said front and back plies; spaced lines of weakening in the plies de'ning individual envelope units separable from the assembly; means connecting the front and back plies together to define individual envelope pockets with at least a portion of one edge of the front and back plies of each envelope unit free from connection to each other; and means along and integral with said one unconnected edge portion for closing the unconnected portion at a time and point removed from the initial assembly of the envelope unit.

6. The envelope assembly of claim 5 wherein the insert material is connected to the envelope front and back along at least a portion of one marginal edge of the assembly and wherein the remaining marginal areas of the front and back plies includes the unconnected portion thereof.

7 The envelope assembly of claim 6 wherein the means for closing the unconnected portion is constructed and arranged to engage the front and back plies free of engagement with the insert material.

8. The envelope assembly of claim 7 wherein the 11nconnected portion includes a hinged flap formed in one of the front and back plies and the means for closing the unconnected portion includes an adhesive positioned on the nap to sealingly engage the other of the front and back plies.

9. The envelope assembly of claim 8 wherein the iiap is defined by spaced die cuts extending inwardly from a marginal edge of said one ply, and the insert material has a marginal edge which is inset relative to the one ply marginal edge wherein a iiap is provided so that adhesive on the flap will engage only the other ply.

10. The envelope assembly -of claim 18 wherein the iap comprises a marginal extension of the one ply relative to the other with adhesive on the flap so that the unconnected portion of the front and back plies may be closed .by folding the flap over into facial engagement with the other ply.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 904,083 1'1/ 1908 Parmenter 229-69 2,338,922 1/'1944 Fleming 229-619 3,104,799 9/1963 Steidinger 229-69 3,312,385 4/ 1967 Am'ort 229-73 3,339,827 9/ 1967 Steidinger 229-69 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 229-73 

